


Defensive Wounds

by fireheart93



Series: Life's a Circus (so why not join one) [5]
Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-01
Updated: 2014-05-01
Packaged: 2018-01-21 10:57:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1548164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fireheart93/pseuds/fireheart93
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Washington was going to kill someone before the end of the day.</p><p>The only question remaining was who.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Defensive Wounds

Washington was going to kill someone before the end of the day.  
The only question remaining was who.

It definitely wasn’t going to be Caboose, he hadn’t done anything wrong. In fact he’d spent the last three hours curled up with his Chow Chow, alternately stroking and sleeping beside him, refusing to speak to anyone.

Tucker was definitely in the firing line, with his snide comments and his ridiculous pick-up lines and his Bow-Chicka-fucking-Bow-Wow. Yes, Tucker was definitely in danger. But then again, he had a kid, and Epsilon had attached himself to Junior almost immediately, but their friendship would probably not last if one of their father’s killed the other. So Tucker was safe for now. 

So that left Church. And, if Wash was being honest with himself (which he rarely was, these days, but he was trying), it was Church who he was really angry at. Church with his cruel words and sharp anger, who took his suffering out on others. 

“Dude, don’t listen to him,” Tucker had said, “he’s just missing his crazy ex-girlfriend. He’s been like this since she walked out on him. Just ignore the fucker, that’s what I do.”

But that was no excuse for what Church had said. Caboose was only trying to be his friend, he didn’t deserve such cruelty, an opinion which Washington had voiced, loudly to Church. The argument had devolved into high-pitched shouting with alarming rapidity, as if the winner would be decided by who had the best falsetto. It ends with Church storming out, almost ripping the tent flap off in his fury. Wash is left in the silent tent. He looks around; Tucker and the kids are missing, he must have taken them when things started getting heated. Wash feels ashamed for his loss of control, but the moment his eyes fall on Caboose, curled around Freckles, his shame vanishes.

“Hey, Caboose,” he say, crouching down next to him, “you okay?” Caboose nods but doesn’t speak, eyes still on Freckles’ fur. Wash sits down, back against the wall. “I’m sorry for shouting, know you don’t like it when people get mad at Church.”  
“Oh, it’s okay Washingtub,” Caboose says, smiling slightly. “People get mad at Church all the time. I’m used to it.” He pauses for a second, head tilted to the side, thinking. “And Church gets mad at me a lot. I’m used to that too.” Wash huffs out a sad little laugh.  
“Yeah, I suppose you are,” he says. They sit together for a while, until Freckles starts shifting in Cabooses’ lap. Wash eyes the dog nervously; Freckles is fiercely protective of his owener. Church has the bite marks to prove it. “I’d better go find Epsilon, make sure he’s okay,” Wash says, getting to his feet. He turns to go but stops and looks back at Caboose. “You know I’m your friend too, right?”  
“Oh I know that,” Caboose says. “But you’re not my best friend. That’s Church”  
“That’s okay, buddy,” Wash says, ruffling the younger man’s hair, “I can live with that.” As he leaves the tent he hears Caboose start singing to Freckles, a happy song, and he smiles. 

He finds Tucker playing with Junior and Epsilon under a tree. He stands and watches for a little while, smiling softly. You wouldn’t know it to look at him, but despite Tucker’s somewhat unconventional parenting style he loves his kid with everything he has. Wash can respect that, even if he still finds it difficult to reconcile the man who makes him blush at his words with alarming frequency, with the father who creates long bedtime stories to get both Junior and Epsilon to sleep. As he watches, Tucker happens to glance up and catch his eye, expression becoming serious. Wash sees him say something to the kids before her stands and walks over to him. He stops in front of him, arms folded, eyebrows raised, waiting for Wash to speak.  
“I’m sorry,” Wash says, “for starting the argument, I mean. I’m not sorry for calling Church out on what he said. Caboose may be irritating at times but that’s no excuse. But things got out of hand, and I’m sorry for that.” Tucker looks at him seriously a little longer before breaking out in a grin.  
“Apology accepted, man.”  
“What, that’s it?” Wash asks, taken aback.  
“What else am I supposed to say?” Tucker says, sounding genuinely confused. “That’s not the first argument we’ve had and it sure as hell won’t be the last. Caboose will have forgotten about it by tomorrow, he’ll be right back to pissing up all off in no time. At least you didn’t punch each other.” Wash nods, but wonders what sort of group this is, that argues so often but seems to forget so easily. He’s never lived like that before. In his childhood, arguments ended in silently held grudges, with the occasional explosion of feelings and shattered crockery, joining the army had seemed the only way to escape. He said the first thing that came to mind,  
“I’m not apologising to Church.” Tucker laughed, Wash could help but smile at the sound.  
“Dude, no one is asking you to. The guy was a fucking dick today, he deserved it. Hell, I’m just glad someone had the balls to call him on it. Come on, your kid is hungry.” Tucker heads back to where the kids are playing, Wash following at his heals. As they carry their children over to the dining tent Wash can’t help but watch Tucker. He makes a pretence of not caring, but Wash doesn’t fail to notice the way he looks for Caboose while they get dinner.

He also sees the smile on his face when he finally catches sight of the youngest member of Blue team.  
The smile becomes a scowl when Caboose sits next to him, but Wash supposes that’s okay.  
Some things don’t change.


End file.
